Men’s Guide to Summer Fabrics

Posted by Rishi Chullani
on June 26, 2014

It’s officially that time of year. Oh, the bitter sweetness. Winter time, and we’re craving sun. Come summer, and while the rays are shining strong, the ladies are frolicking in their new summer dresses and beer indulging weather is in full swing, that relentless, enervating heat continues to get the best of us. So how do we deal with this un(expected) conundrum? Edumacate ourselves.

By wearing the right fabrics during the summer, we can enjoy our days without feeling repressed by that crippling heat. Here is our Men’s Guide to Summer Fabrics that will keep you feeling cool, all while oozing confidence.

1. Cotton. While cotton is a year round fabric, its benefits are clearly felt during the spring and summer months. So why exactly is cotton such a popular fabric during the summer months? Cotton fibers are highly porous, which makes the fabric light and breathable. In recent years, the cotton suit has seen a resurgence.

However, when choosing your summer fabric that will keep you cool, you want to ensure that you look for an open weave, as this will let in air more easily. If you cannot see through the fabric when holding it against the light in the summer, it is not well suited for warmer weather.

If you are looking to make an addition to your summer wardrobe, consider adding a beige or cream colored cotton suit. This versatile piece can be worn while at work and also serve as your ensemble of choice at a summer cocktail party or a beach side wedding!

A beige cotton suit is a versatile option during the summer months!

2. Seersucker. The seersucker suit, which has been a staple of the Southern Gentleman’s wardrobe for many a year, has made more of a prominence in the north east and across the pond in the UK. Seersucker is a lightweight, crinkled, striped summer fabric made of puckered cotton. The fabric’s lightweight cotton properties make it ideal for summer and allows for some great color schemes! The crinkled stripes let air into the fabric to help keep you cool.

In addition to seersucker suits, seersucker shirts and shorts have seen a recent surge in popularity! While I would advise against wearing a Seersucker suit to the office, a shirt or suit worn at a casual or semi-casual (summer beach wedding) will give you that much needed balance between looking elegant and feeling comfortable. Now that’s something every dapper gentleman strives for during the spring and summer months!

A blue seersucker suit, with a pastel colored tie such as above, makes for a great ensemble for Summer Weddings!

3. Linen. With great durability, strength, breathability and strong wicking properties, Linen is arguably the perfect summer fabric. The one major drawback is that linen wrinkles easily.

When opting to purchase a linen shirt, it’s best to seek out a darker hue, such as navy or grey, given the light weight and see through nature of the material.

Given that the fabric tends to wrinkle easily, linen suits shouldn’t be used in corporate environments, but rather for business casual events or summer weddings, as they portray relaxed chic. Add in a madras tie with your light blue or light grey linen suit, and you are bound to have a winner.

A linen suit allows for a comfortable but elegant spring / summer look.

4. Madras. While I wouldn’t advocate wearing anything outside of a Madras Tie in a formal setting, Madras can add flair to your wardrobe during the summer months.

Madras is a lightweight cotton fabric with typically patterned texture and plaid design, used primarily for summer clothing such as pants, shorts, dresses and jackets. The fabric takes its name from the former city of Chennai, India. This cloth has also been identified by its colloquial name, Madrasi checks.

Madras is available as plaid patterns in regular cotton, seersucker and patchwork madras. Patchwork madras is a fabric that is derived from cutting several madras plaid fabrics into strips, and sewing them back together as a series of 3 inch squares, that form a pattern of various plaids crossing against each other.

Adding a Madras Tie to your Linen, Cotton or even seersucker suit can add a whole new dimension of color, given that most Madras Ties consist of colorful plaid schemes. For a more casual evening out, try sporting a Madras Jacket.

A madras tie with a seersucker suit will add a perfect splash of color to your ensemble!

And that’s a wrap for this one! I hope that you have enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it!